~~Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2004 brings you good health and all that you wish for.

A few months ago I spent a weekend at the New Jersey shore and met a woman who told me that her family serves fish with their first meal of the new year for good luck. I missed doing that this year (I forgot! mmm-fish is also brain food) but plan to try it next year. The topic of fish started me to thinking about seafood recipes so I am sharing some with you this month. Here's to eating more fish for good luck and clearer thinking.

~~From our readers. In December I received an e-mail from Chef Matisse Selman who asked if I considered Wasabi as Hot & Spicy? My response was absolutely! If any of you have ever had wasabi you understand the emphasis. For those not familiar with wasabi, it is much like horseradish but better and served with sashimi, sushi and some Japanese noodle dishes.

Chef Matisse was kind enough to pass on this information.

"Since REAL wasabi plant is not very common and most people will buy the wasabi horseradish at the store. Always buy wasabi in a powder form, not in a paste. When you buy it made in a paste, they have added extra chemicals/ingredients to keep it a paste and not to dry out.(sometimes the don't even list all the ingredients). Plus you don't know what kind of water they are putting in it for you. So to be on the safe side always buy a powder and add your own water. Get a powder wasabi with the green food coloring as the last ingredient. You will find that some of the wasabi on the market does not even list a food coloring. This is because it is not required in other countries and then is imported into the US.

Even places that sell REAL wasabi paste have CUT it with cornstarch and other ingredients(Sometimes 50%Real wasabi and 50%horseradish powder).
Watch what you are buying. Ask questions, and have fun!

Still Time to Enter: The Southern Living Cook-Off 2004 - A $100,000.00 prize. You can enter various Recipe Categories. Entries received via mail must be postmarked by June 16 and received by June 23, 2004. See Southern Living Cook-Off 2004 for categories and full details.

Our January Food Quote:A recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with
a variation. Madame Benoit (Jehane Benoit, French-Canadian chef)

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